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Sun, 02 Aug 2015 18:11:31 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3Master & Dynamic MH30 Review: For Those Who Love On-Ears, Sans Myselfhttp://laptopmemo.com/2015/08/02/master-dynamic-mh30-review-for-those-who-love-on-ears-but-not-me/
http://laptopmemo.com/2015/08/02/master-dynamic-mh30-review-for-those-who-love-on-ears-but-not-me/#commentsSun, 02 Aug 2015 17:59:33 +0000http://laptopmemo.com/?p=30738Having reviewed a “mobile thinking cap”, I thought it was high-time to review something more portable. When it comes to headphones, on-ears represent the closest balance between earphones due to portability and the sound quality usually attributed to over-ears. But, they’ve never really been to my taste. If it’s not aesthetic shortcomings, it’s the lack of encapsulating sound, and if it’s…

Having reviewed a “mobile thinking cap”, I thought it was high-time to review something more portable. When it comes to headphones, on-ears represent the closest balance between earphones due to portability and the sound quality usually attributed to over-ears. But, they’ve never really been to my taste. If it’s not aesthetic shortcomings, it’s the lack of encapsulating sound, and if it’s not that, it’s a litany of uncomfortable designs that press on the ear lobe rather than rest against it.

Here, the MH30 by Manhattan-based audio company Master & Dynamic comes close to fixing most (if no all) of those problems.

Aesthetics

Unlike the MH40, the MH30 pair is foldable — a big deal in terms of portability and carrying headphones around. It does this while also featuring the same toolbox of materials that the MH40 sports: anodized aluminum, stainless steel, removable lambskin ear cups and leather headband, along with 40mm Neodyium drivers.

“They are very pretty headphones.”

Impedance is at 32 ohms, a weight of 260 grams and an omni-directional in-line iOS microphone on a woven cable, along with a longer, plain woven cable as an alternative. Speaking of which, both sides support 3.5mm headset jacks, so if you prefer your cables to thread left or right Master & Dynamic has you covered.

Per usual, M&H provides a leather cable box and a heavy cloth carrying pouch, so transportation and storage is covered.

Using It

Wearing the MH30 feels as much fashion statement as audio experience, but the scale tips towards one side more so than the other. While beautiful, polished anodized aluminum can make me happy any day of the week, the encapsulated and enriching feeling of having your head “filled with sound” rather than having it streamed over is something the MH30 did not accomplish for me.

By no means do they sound terrible; far from it in fact. But they remain a tier below the flagship model, and at this price range anything but the best needs to justified, and fast.

Lows are well pronounced, but the mids and highs are better represented across all volume levels. Some might describe the audio experience as partly bass-heavy, but that wouldn’t be exactly true, as there isn’t enough cushioning to lock-in that sound and feeling. Outside interference is quiet to nearly inaudible, but if a mobile isolation apparatus is what you’re after, than the MH30 will fall short and instead only perform as a high-end pair of on-ears.

Conclusion

Score: 7/10

“I still prefer over-ear headphones, but the MH30 comes pretty close to being one.”

The MH30 is a price pair of cans, at only $50 less than the Master & Dynamic’s better-performing, full sized MH40 headphones. Given that the MH30 is still wired, and doesn’t offer as warm an experience as I might prefer, the MH40 still reigns supreme. Essentially, they’re great but I prefer the full package.

However, if you swear by having a foldable design and prefer the form factor, then the MH30 is a passable and cool option in the on-ear headphone space.

]]>http://laptopmemo.com/2015/08/02/master-dynamic-mh30-review-for-those-who-love-on-ears-but-not-me/feed/0Victorinox I.N.O.X. Watch Review: It Might Last Longer Than I Willhttp://laptopmemo.com/2015/08/01/victorinox-i-n-o-x-watch-review-it-might-last-longer-than-i-will/
http://laptopmemo.com/2015/08/01/victorinox-i-n-o-x-watch-review-it-might-last-longer-than-i-will/#commentsSat, 01 Aug 2015 21:30:29 +0000http://laptopmemo.com/?p=30715As clever wordplay on the last four letters of the Victorinox brand name — legendary Swiss manufacturer of Swiss army knives and luggages — the I.N.O.X. watch stands for a rather lengthy name: Impact Neutralizing Object for the X-tremes. It’s a timepiece that contains a quartz movement and is encased inside of a 43mm stainless steel case of extreme durability. Of course, the glass…

]]>As clever wordplay on the last four letters of the Victorinox brand name — legendary Swiss manufacturer of Swiss army knives and luggages — the I.N.O.X. watch stands for a rather lengthy name: Impact Neutralizing Object for the X-tremes.

It’s a timepiece that contains a quartz movement and is encased inside of a 43mm stainless steel case of extreme durability. Of course, the glass has to be up to snuff as well, so a scratch-resistant, triple-coated anti-reflective sapphire crystal is affixed as the window. That isn’t the only extreme thing about this timepiece, either.

Aesthetics

Not everything about the Inox is centered around the four-ounce stainless steel bloc and sapphire triple-coated surface of the watch. Some of the magic that makes the Inox a solid timepiece is on its Montbloc dial and its luminescent hands and indexes. The watch itself is water-resistant to 200m (20 ATM, or 660 feet), so while it’s not diver’s watch, it can survive a deep trip underwater.

“Nothing the Inox can withstand a human can. Deal with it.”

Actually, this is worth bringing up: nothing the Inox can withstand a human can. Therefore, you will die and the Inox will keep ticking away. Deal with it.

However, that is nothing to be discouraged over. it simply means that while running through the town or accidentally brushing the watch against a door frame or a granite countertop will yield little to no damage whatsoever to your half-a-grand timepiece. And while I doubt anyone wearing this will come across a bulldozer, I’m sure that if you had to impress and bet against your friends by running it over, then you’d win.

Using It

Using a watch is actually a simple and complex process. Simple in the fact that, when strapped to your wrist, you don’t need to do much else. Complex in that the watch is diligently keeping time and ready for your perusal at a moment’s notice — or a flick of the wrist.

The Inox does both things, like any reliable watch would, but using it is more about details: the excellent shifting of weight on your wrist thanks to the thickness and width of the rubber band. Or, the face, which despite being coated is one the clearest I’ve ever seen (smart and regular watches included).

It also makes an excellent travel watch, capable of coming along for a swim, right, flight, run, League of Legends play session or the blazing hot NYC summer, without protest and worry about keep the timepiece on your wrist pristine. After all, the Inox did pass a variety of “tests” Victorinox planned for it as part of its marketing campaign. While I don’t imagine being frozen then set on fire to defrost is something you’ll do in your lifetime, just know that the only thing left of you might be the watch.

Conclusion

Score: 9/10

“I do wish that wearing it granted you some of its durability. Actually, no; I don’t want to be run over.”

The Inox is my favorite timepiece to roll around the city with, for now at least. It’s technically a ruggedized watch that is also compatible with business and casual outfits, while also not being unattainably expensive or gaudy.

At the end of the day, it’s a simple quartz stainless steel watch with a rubber band, that just so happens to be Swiss, and by Victorinox no less. And that makes it worthwhile and a great timepiece for any man to wear.

]]>http://laptopmemo.com/2015/08/01/victorinox-i-n-o-x-watch-review-it-might-last-longer-than-i-will/feed/0A Look At: The Helly Hansen Kordel Leather Shoehttp://laptopmemo.com/2015/07/30/a-look-at-the-helly-hansen-kordel-leather-shoe/
http://laptopmemo.com/2015/07/30/a-look-at-the-helly-hansen-kordel-leather-shoe/#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 17:21:45 +0000http://laptopmemo.com/?p=30689Price as Reviewed: $100 at Helly Hansen It’s comfortable, stylish, and well, it’s a sneaker — so that counts for quite a bit. Thanks to the myriad of navy tones and the white and red flourishes, the Kordel leather shoe is somewhat playful without looking juvenile; I can wear it with a dress shirt and jeans, then attend a media…

It’s comfortable, stylish, and well, it’s a sneaker — so that counts for quite a bit. Thanks to the myriad of navy tones and the white and red flourishes, the Kordel leather shoe is somewhat playful without looking juvenile; I can wear it with a dress shirt and jeans, then attend a media event with my dignity and style intact. It fits comfortably, with enough height and cushioning to feel as if you”re wearing a usually thick pair of socks.

Conclusion

Score: 8/10While I do worry about the (off) white along the outsole, I’m pretty sure it will take a while (and a few miles of walking in NYC) to truly render the Kordel dirt, worn and otherwise no longer worthy of being worn. And in case you were wondering: yes, I can skateboard with it, but I wouldn’t recommend it. After all, isn’t that why you have canvas and rubber shoes rather than the Kordel leather and suede?

]]>http://laptopmemo.com/2015/07/30/a-look-at-the-helly-hansen-kordel-leather-shoe/feed/0Hands On With The Moto X Pure Editionhttp://laptopmemo.com/2015/07/28/hands-on-with-the-moto-x-pure-edition/
http://laptopmemo.com/2015/07/28/hands-on-with-the-moto-x-pure-edition/#commentsTue, 28 Jul 2015 14:08:19 +0000http://laptopmemo.com/?p=30680In the grand scheme of the things, it’s the Moto X Style that stands as today’s important announcement from Motorola. It could be argued that their best-selling phone to date, the Moto G, is also important, but the enthusiast (and I) market might say otherwise. Here, the metallic accents and grippy, soft grip of the Moto X Style actually shine,…

]]>In the grand scheme of the things, it’s the Moto X Style that stands as today’s important announcement from Motorola. It could be argued that their best-selling phone to date, the Moto G, is also important, but the enthusiast (and I) market might say otherwise. Here, the metallic accents and grippy, soft grip of the Moto X Style actually shine, while also keeping a large device with a 5.7-inch screen in a 5.5″ body, wieldable.

One interesting note: the default camera setting is 16 megapixel widescreen, with a settings switch that allows for 21 megapixels cropped. Just a quick mental note about reliable camera quality, really.

Weight is well distributed across the device design despite curvature and thicker/thinner portions running across its length. The hands-on models were in color schemes that I don’t find appealing, which is testament to the potential of the Moto Maker and personalization.

I’m looking forward to the launch this September. Also: the Moto X Style is being called the Moto X Pure in the United States for $399, off-contract and usable on the four major LTE carriers.

]]>http://laptopmemo.com/2015/07/28/hands-on-with-the-moto-x-pure-edition/feed/0Moto X Play Announced: A Longer Lasting, More Active Flagship Phonehttp://laptopmemo.com/2015/07/28/moto-x-play-announced-a-longer-lasting-more-active-flagship-phone/
http://laptopmemo.com/2015/07/28/moto-x-play-announced-a-longer-lasting-more-active-flagship-phone/#commentsTue, 28 Jul 2015 13:41:54 +0000http://laptopmemo.com/?p=30668The Moto X Play is Motorola’s second X-branded device announced today. Aimed towards battery life, up to two days on a single charge, and is advertised with a massive 3,630mAh battery to accomplish that. The same 21 megapixel sensor seen on the top-range Moto X Style carries over (capped at 1080p HD recording), with a 5.5-inch full HD display. A…

]]>The Moto X Play is Motorola’s second X-branded device announced today. Aimed towards battery life, up to two days on a single charge, and is advertised with a massive 3,630mAh battery to accomplish that. The same 21 megapixel sensor seen on the top-range Moto X Style carries over (capped at 1080p HD recording), with a 5.5-inch full HD display. A Snapdragon octa-core processor is the X Play’s heart, with 2GB of RAM and 16/32GB storage options, along with Moto Maker and a pure build of Android 5.1.1 Lollipop.